of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
(John 1:1-14) Prayer: O Jesus, thank you for leaving the Father’s side and becoming a man. Imagination: (Imagine Mary telling the angel, Gabriel, that she would be God’s mother.) Context: Mark begins his gospel with John the Baptist. Matthew and Luke begin their gospels with infancy stories. John begins his gospel in heaven. Quickly, the …
Continue reading “DECEMBER 31, 2016 – FRIDAY -THE WORD BECAME FLESH”
(Luke 2:36-40) Prayer: O Lord, teach me to fast, to pray and to listen to your word. Imagination: (Picture Joseph and Mary holding the Christ Child in the presence of Simeon and Anna.) Context: Luke likes to portray both men and women ministering. So, he added Anna, a prophetess, to Simeon’s story. She is a …
Continue reading “DECEMBER 30, 2016 – FRIDAY, CHRISTMAS WEEK – THE WOMAN PROPHETESS”
(Luke 1:57-63) Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit. Teach me to obey your word. Imagination: (Picture Elizabeth and Zechariah surrounded by their neighbors.) Context: Luke’s gospel describes the miracles that surround the conceptions and births of both John and Jesus. These numerous miracles proclaim that both are very special to God’s plan. In this text, Zechariah is …
Continue reading “DECEMBER 23, 2016 – FRIDAY – THE BIRTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST”
(John 5:33-36) Prayer: O Jesus, I believe that you were sent by the Father. Imagination: (Picture Jesus speaking to the crowds.) Context: In Advent, the readings highlight the role of John the Baptist. Jesus calls John a “lamp burning bright” because he testified about Jesus. Yet, Jesus has even greater testimony, the works he performs. …
Continue reading “DECEMBER 16, 2016 – WEEK THREE OF ADVENT – FRIDAY – JOHN – A LAMP BURNING BRIGHT”
(Matthew 11:16-19) Prayer: O Jesus, open my heart to all the messengers you send to me. Imagination: (Picture Jesus with His disciples). Context: This parable shows hostility toward Jesus. The children cannot agree, so their quarrels end their playtime. The cause is laziness. Some children expect others to do the strenuous part of dancing while …
(Matthew 9:27-31) Prayer: O Jesus, make me confident that you can make me see. Imagination: (Picture Jesus with his disciples.) Context: After raising the little girl to life, Jesus encounters two blind men. They give him the Messianic title, “Son of David” and proclaim that they have confidence that he can heal them Filled with …
Continue reading “DECEMBER 2, 2016 – WEEK ONE OF ADVENT – FRIDAY – HEALING THE BLIND”
(Luke 21:29-33) Prayer: O Jesus, help me to act now. So much is about to happen. Imagination: (Picture Jesus teaching his disciples.) Context: Jesus has just predicted the fall of Jerusalem and declared that, at a given moment, he will come on clouds of glory. Because people think that this cosmic event is far off, …
Continue reading “NOVEMBER 25, 2016 – WEEK THIRTY-FOUR – FRIDAY – THE EVENTS ARE NEAR”
(Luke 19:45-48) Prayer: O Jesus, make me your purified disciple. Imagination: (Picture Jesus cleansing the Temple) Context: In all four gospels, Jesus cleanses the temple. (Therefore, it is a very important event). Luke, in his gentle manner, omits many details known from the other gospels. He focuses on Jesus’ continued teaching and the leaders’ desires …
(Luke 17:26-37) Prayer – O Jesus, let me watch and be ready for your coming. Imagination: (Picture Jesus teaching his disciples about his Second Coming.) Context: Jesus gives two separate images, the biblical stories of Noah and Lot and the difficult decisions necessary in an emergency. In Palestine, the roofs were flat and people worked …
Continue reading “NOVEMBER 11, 2016 – WEEK THIRTY-TWO – FRIDAY – DAYS OF DECISION”
(Luke 16:1-8) Prayer: O Jesus, wake me up to the imminence of the Kingdom, so I respond fully. Imagination: (Picture Jesus with His disciples) Context: The parable uses real-life details. Rich owners often lived at a distance and depended on stewards who held promissory oaths of debtors. The steward wants the changes put into the …
Continue reading “NOVEMBER 4, 2016 – WEEK THIRTY-ONE – FRIDAY – THE UNJUST STEWARD”
(Luke 14: 1-6) Prayer: Lord Jesus, heal my infirmities. Imagination: (Picture Jesus at table with the Pharisees.) Context: In Luke’s gospel, Jesus spends much time at table. Usually, controversy erupts. Here, Jesus heals a man and the story focuses more on the controversy than on the healing. Gospel Text: (Read slowly, possibly aloud.) When Jesus …
Continue reading “OCTOBER 28, 2016 – WEEK THIRTY – FRIDAY – ANOTHER SABBATH HEALING”
(Luke 12:54-59) Prayer – O Lord, do not let me lose the Kingdom. Imagination – (Picture Jesus teaching the crowds.) Context: This text has two parts. First, people should be able to see that the Kingdom is at hand. Second, the disciple must act now and accept the Kingdom. Gospel Text: (Read slowly, possibly aloud) …
Continue reading “OCTOBER 21, 2016 – WEEK TWENTY-NINE – FRIDAY – INTERPRETING THE URGENCY”
(Luke 12: 1-7) Prayer – O Lord, you care for the sparrows. You will care also for me. Imagination: (Picture Jesus teaching the dense crowds.) Context: This text has 2 parts. Having denounced the Pharisees to their face, Jesus is surrounded by crowds. However, he speaks to his disciples. He calls the Pharisee teaching, hypocrisy, …
Continue reading “OCTOBER 14, 2016 – WEEK TWENTY-EIGHT – FRIDAY – JESUS’ WARNING”
(Luke 11:15-26) Prayer – O Jesus, you always use your great power to bless us. Imagination: (Picture Jesus with the disciples and the crowds). Context: All agree that Jesus worked these miracles and cast out Satan. In this gospel, some question the source of his power. Their reasoning is contradictory. Jesus wants only to save …
(Luke 10:13-16) Prayer – Lord Jesus, let me use well this time for repentance given to me by the heavenly Father. Imagination – (Picture Jesus speaking to his disciples and the crowds.) Context: Jesus mentions three towns of Galilee – Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum. The gospels do not record any ministry of Jesus in the …
Continue reading “SEPTEMBER 30, 2016 – WEEK TWENTY-SIX – FRIDAY – THE UNREPENTANT TOWNS”
(Luke 9:18-22) Prayer: O Holy Spirit, open to my heart the mystery of Jesus Christ. Imagination – (Picture Jesus with his disciples) Context: An earlier gospel showed what the Father wanted Jesus to accomplish for Israel. This gospel answers a deeper question. What is Jesus’ relationship to the Father and to Israel. At this point, …
Continue reading “SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 – WEEK TWENTY-FIVE – FRIDAY – JESUS’ IDENTITY REVEALED”
(Luke 8:1-3) Prayer – O Jesus, let me accompany you all the days of my life Imagination: (Picture Jesus with these special disciples, both men and women.) Context: Only Luke has this section which highlights the role of women in a ministering role for the Kingdom. Jesus had helped each of these women. After being …
Continue reading “SEPTEMBER 16, 2016 – WEEK TWENTY-FOUR – FRIDAY – THE SPECIAL DISCIPLES”
(Luke 6:39-42) Prayer – O Lord, open my eyes to see the true path of devotion. Imagination – (Picture Jesus speaking with his disciples.) Context: Jesus continues to instruct his disciples. They are blind and if they do not listen to him they will remain blind. Even worse, they will be blind to their own …
Continue reading “SEPTEMBER 9, 2016 – WEEK TWENTY-THREE – FRIDAY – A BLINDED EYE”
(Luke 5:33-39) Prayer – O Jesus, give me faith which accepts your new Covenant. Imagination: (Picture Jesus surrounded by his disciples and his opponents.) Context: In this text, Jesus uses three images, the bridegroom, the new coat and the new wine. They all reveal the new powers of the Kingdom. Jesus’ opponents are holding on …
Continue reading “SEPTEMBER 2, 2016 – WEEK TWENTY-TWO – FRIDAY – IMAGES OF JESUS’ KINGDOM”
(Matthew 25:1-13) Prayer: O Jesus, I will go out to meet you. Imagination: (Picture Jesus with His disciples.) Context: In Jesus’ time, because marriages were delayed for hours until all the arrangements were worked out. Therefore, there were many midnight processions by torchlight with the bridegroom arriving unexpectedly. In this parable, all ten virgin fall …
Continue reading “AUGUST 26, 2016 – WEEK TWENTY-ONE – FRIDAY – THE TEN VIRGINS”